


And down we fell

by GemmaRose



Series: The Lawlu Gay Pirates AU [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternative Universe - Gay Pirates (song), Boys Kissing, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-05-16 12:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5827795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemmaRose/pseuds/GemmaRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three weeks after realizing he's in love with one of his nakama, Law decides to do something about it.</p><p>An expansion of a few sentences from "We deserve much better than we've had"</p>
            </blockquote>





	And down we fell

“Where are you going?” Baby 5 asked, hanging over the railing and kicking her feet idly in the air.

Law shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “To stretch my legs.”

“Can I come?” Luffy asked, his ever-present grin still etched on his darkly tanned face.

“Sure, so long as you don’t get into trouble.” Law turned, and started walking. Even though it was stupid, he felt like Baby 5 would know how fast his heart was racing. Luffy cheered, and Law knew the rubber teen had vaulted the railing by the smack he made hitting the ground. Seconds later Luffy was at his side, hands stuffed in the pockets of his shorts and beaming fit to outshine the sun.

“Where’re we going?” Luffy asked, casually invading Law’s bubble of personal space. Law ducked his head into the collar of his jacket, and shrugged.

“Nowhere, just walking.” he almost opened his mouth to say Luffy didn’t have to come with, but stopped himself at the last second. The plan was going perfectly so far, the iffy part already over. Nobody was following them, so all he needed to do was find somewhere secluded enough they wouldn’t be stumbled across by anyone else from the ship who was looking to ease their cabin fever.

“Ooh, let’s find a restaurant!” Luffy’s eyes shone at the prospect of food.

“I’m not paying to satiate your ridiculous appetite.” Law huffed, keeping his head low in his collar to hide the smile which flickered across his face.

“Who said anything about paying?” Luffy chuckled, a distinct sound that always made Law want to laugh along.

“Doffy said we’re supposed to lay low here.” Law reminded him. Luffy’s face scrunched up in disgust.

“Still think you should’ve just joined my crew.” he pulled a hand from his pocket, flicked some lint off, and jammed a finger up his nose. “Mingo’s a butt.”

Law punched Luffy in the shoulder, even though he knew it wouldn’t hurt his rubber crewmate. “Don’t say things like that about the captain!”

Luffy didn’t respond, simply pulling a crusty booger from his nose and flicking it onto the sidewalk. Law sighed, and grabbed the shorter teen’s wrist. They were several corners away from the dock already, the streets crowded enough that nobody would notice a pair of scrawny brown boys slipping off into an alley. He had to go through with it now, before he could start second-guessing himself. Who knew how much longer it’d be before they had a chance like this again? Better to just get the rejection over and done with so he could put this nonsense behind him.

“Torao?” Luffy’s smile fell, confusion settling across his face in its stead when they turned off of the busy street.

“There’s something I need to tell you.” Law said, coming to a halt under a tag of some local pirate crew.

“What?” Luffy cocked his head, confusion giving way to worry.

“I, well...” Law’s words caught in his throat. He’d mentally rehearsed this a dozen times at least, but with Luffy giving him that look the words were all falling out of order. “I like you.” he blurted, and immediately winced. He’d had a whole confession scripted, something simple and plain enough that even Luffy couldn’t misunderstand it.

“Well, duh.” Luffy smiled. “We’re nakama. Silly Torao.”

“No, I-” Law groaned, and dragged his hands down his face. Saying he _like_ liked Luffy would probably only confused the younger teen even more. “I have, feelings for you.” he said after a moment, acutely aware of the fact that the pale spots on his face were surely flaming red by now.

“Like, friendship?” Luffy frowned.

“No, more than friendship.” Law frowned right back.

“Nakamaship.” Luffy said confidently.

Law shook his head, half to tell Luffy he was wrong and half at his own stupidity. He was in too deep to abort mission now, but how could he get a clean rejection if Luffy didn’t even understand what they were talking about? At least he’d come up with a Plan B. Law took a deep breath, then leaned forward and kissed Luffy. Well, it wasn’t so much a kiss as slamming his face into Luffy’s, and Luffy went still as death. Good, now he could put this whole debacle in his wake and get back to normal life.

“Oh.” Luffy blinked, eyes wide. His mouth was hanging ever so slightly open, and Law was sorely tempted to steal another kiss before the rubberman could gather his scarce wits enough to form a rebuttal.

“Yeah, those sorts of feelings.” Law ducked his head into his collar again, and tensed against the inevitable. Last step of the plan, take Luffy’s rejection to heart and get the hell over him.

Luffy laughed, and despite himself Law winced. He hadn’t expected that. Hadn’t known what to expect at all really but certainly not laughter. He hadn’t known Luffy was capable of that sort of cruelty, but then again, they _were_ pirates. Luffy’s hands gripped Law’s collar, and he lifted his head to see which way he was about to be thrown. But instead of tossing him like a rag doll, Luffy pulled him in for another kiss.

Law’s brain momentarily short-circuited. Of all the possibilities he’d considered, this hadn’t even been one of them. His hands came up to rest on Luffy’s narrow hips, and he all but collapsed against the rubber teen. Luffy was _kissing him_. Luffy was kissing him and it felt a little bit like flying. It also felt like falling from somewhere very high, like sinking in the ocean, like the jittery adrenaline rush of energy after winning a battle. It felt amazing, and when they parted for air it was only briefly, just long enough for a quick gasp of oxygen before they crashed back together.

The stone wall of the alley was chilly even through his jacket, and yet Law felt like he could melt just from the warmth of Luffy pressed up against him. He felt like maybe he already had, and the only thing keeping him together was Luffy’s rubber arms wrapped around his torso. That was impossible, of course, but when Luffy pulled away and rested his forehead against Law’s with a breathy shishishi giggle Law could almost believe anything at all was possible.

“That was-” Luffy paused and cleared his throat, pulling back ever so slightly. “That was fun.” he beamed, and this close Law wondered for a heartbeat why he wasn’t being blinded by something so bright.

“Yeah.” Law nodded, and slammed his forehead into Luffy’s, shattering the moment. Luffy fell flat on his ass, and started laughing.

“Torao likes me.” he smiled after his hissing laughter had stopped ringing off the walls of the alley.

“Yes, I do.” Law felt his face heating again, and the impulse to Room himself into one of the buildings bordering them got suddenly much stronger. Instead, he balled his hands into fists and shoved them in his jacket pockets. “You could just say you’re not interested, instead of just laughing about it.”

Luffy’s smile fell, replaced by confusion, and regret lanced through Law’s chest. Luffy had kissed him so hard his heart was still hammering against his ribs, but he’d just fallen back on the plan and maybe-

“Torao...” Luffy got to his feet, voice unusually quiet. “Are you okay?”

Law had no idea why, but he wanted to tell Luffy everything in that moment. But that would be stupid, not to mention time-consuming, so instead he just shook his head and picked a small truth. “I thought if you turned me down I’d stop thinking about you all the time.” he reached up and grabbed the brim of his hat, tugging it down until it almost covered his eyes.

“Why?” Luffy frowned, stepping into Law’s personal space. “I think about hugging you a lot, so I hug you a lot. What’s wrong with that?”

Law’s heart fairly skipped a beat at that, and he hunched in on himself, trying to hide five foot nine of stick thin teenager in one slightly oversized leather jacket. Of course Luffy didn’t get it, he was Luffy. “There’s nothing wrong with you, of course.” he snapped, fingernails biting into his palms. “You just run around giving out love like you’ve got an infinite supply, never considering that maybe some people don’t need a personal sun.”

Luffy hugged him then, and Law pushed him away. “Why won’t you just say you don’t feel the same?” he yelled, voice cracking in the middle.

Luffy’s face was as serious as he’d ever seen it, and Law wasn’t sure if he wanted to lash out or just quit while he was behind and bolt. “Torao.” Luffy caught his hands, and the contact was electric. But instead of setting his heart racing like it had a minute ago, the thrill of energy made his stomach turn. He’d been prepared for a blunt no or violent rejection, not a gentle let-down. Fuck, if he started crying he’d never hear the end of it. “I like you.”

And, there were the tears. Law pulled his hands free of Luffy’s, and scrubbed his face clean before they could fall. Then Luffy grabbed his hands again, lacing their fingers together, and leaned up to press a kiss to the edge of Law’s mouth. “It’s a mystery feeling, not like being friends or nakama, but I like you. And kissing you is almost as fun as hugging, so I wanna do that too.”

“You hug everyone.” Law pointed out, forcing his diaphragm to cooperate and let him breath properly.

“Yeah, but I only wanna kiss you.” Luffy looked frustrated now, and gripped Law’s hands harder. “I’m no good at mysteries, but if you like me too then why do you want me to say I don’t?”

“Doffy wouldn’t like it.” he said, heart leaping into his throat as it registered that they were holding hands. “We’re supposed to be a family.”

“But we’re not brothers, we’re nakama.” Luffy’s forehead was creased like he was trying to actually think. “Nakama can have mystery feelings for each other.” he nodded once. “So it’s okay for us to kiss, right?” he flashed a blindingly bright smile, and Law almost melted again.

“I-” Law opened his mouth to object, to say that even if the attraction was mutual it would be the death of both of them if Doffy found out, but before he could get out more than a syllable Luffy was kissing him again. Resisting Luffy was like trying to swim against the tide. Most people acquiesced eventually, but Law couldn’t fight it to begin with. He kissed back, lifting his hands to push up into Luffy’s hair. The buttons of Luffy’s vest pressed against his chest through the fabric of his shirt, and one rubbery leg wrapped around his calf. It was like holding five and a half feet of pure sunlight and warmth, and for just a moment he stopped worrying about what Doffy would think.

Doffy was his captain, the man who loved him most in the world, but Luffy’s love was different somehow. Brighter, more innocent maybe. Like a warm summer day instead of searing hot iron. Luffy pressed him against the wall and gripped his shoulders like they were both drowning. They parted for brief breaths, but Law’s head still spun every time Luffy’s lips landed back on his. Luffy loved him. Luffy loved him, and for the moment that simple fact eclipsed every doubt, every fear, every negative thought that lurked in the back of his mind as constantly as his own heartbeat.

“You’re done being stupid, right?” Luffy asked when they pulled apart for longer than a fraction of a second, cheeks flushed and eyes bright as Law had ever seen them.

“Definitely.” Law sighed, pulling Luffy in for a slower kiss this time. His heart was still racing, his whole body alive with an energy not quite adrenaline, but they still had to pretend nothing had happened when they returned to the ship.

“Good.” Luffy rested his head against Law’s shoulder, and Law had to take a deliberately deep breath.

“Luffy-ya, can you keep this a secret?” he asked slowly.

“Keep what a secret?” Luffy asked back, tilting his head up slightly to meet Law’s eyes.

“This, thing, between us.” he pulled a hand from Luffy’s hair and gestured between them, though there wasn’t much space to gesture in. Luffy didn’t seem to understand, and Law sighed. “The mystery feeling.”

“Oh, okay.” Luffy grinned, pulling back. Law let his hand fall from Luffy’s hair, and didn’t complain when Luffy grabbed it. “It’ll be our mystery.”

“That means no kissing me unless we’re alone, and you can’t hug me any more than you hug Baby 5 and Buffalo and Dellinger.” Law said firmly, gripping Luffy’s hand hard enough to keep the rubberman in place.

“Aww.” Luffy pouted. “But-”

“If Doffy found out, we’d both walk the plank.” Law said firmly. He wasn’t actually sure what Doffy would do if he found out, but it certainly wouldn’t be pretty. “So it has to be a secret, okay?”

Luffy nodded. “Like a game.”

“Sure, like a game.” Law agreed. So long as Luffy could keep this quiet, it didn’t matter how he thought about it. “Now come on, let’s see what there is to see on this island.” he shoved his hands back in his jacket pockets, and walked out the end of the alley opposite where they’d entered.

“We should find somewhere with meat.” Luffy grinned, falling in step as they turned down the street.

“Only if you buy your own meal.” Law said, unable to help the small smile which crept onto his face. “I’m not paying to fill the bottomless pit you call a stomach.”

Luffy laughed, and Law ducked his head into his jacket collar to hide his grin. Just for now, he could pretend that this might work.


End file.
